The Penn's Grove record., 1887-11-26

had left the boy alone in the worl
with no heritage ave his tarnishe,
name
To Maggie, however, such knowledg
as the lad had managed to acquir,
seemed perfectly marvellous, and grow
ing intimate with him opened quite
new world to the girl who had beel
brought up to think that this beautiful
earth was principally good for fatten
ing bullocks and growing turnipa.
From the day when she met him frs
by the lake, the young creatures lionel,
heart had opened to him like flowe
taken from q darkened prison to th
light Of the summer sunshine.
There was in Maggie, as In man,
border maidens, a strange germ Of 70
nance and poetry; and hitherto he
hard prosaic life had given 1t no clianc
Of development.
Now at the touch Of love It burst .
once into maturity.
Her ardent. impulsive nature ha,
been held down by restraint, an,
stunted by her fathers outward cold
ness; but happiness and loves raptur
transformed the girl into q creatur,
throbbing with passion and demonstra
tive with q gracious abandon, swee
and subtle in its charms as that which
ever gladdened the heart of lover il
o!den story.
She stood with one soft, warn hapt
resting on Ralph's tall shoulder, th,
other stroking his cheek with tende
coquetry. and she nestled to him as hi
strong arm clasped her closely.
"Oh, my love, my love, how did J
ever live without your" she said. elf,
was dreary, dreary as the cherries
winter time af0re the spring wakens
the flowers and brings the song Of birds
Oh, Ralph, Ralph, I feel as though
had never been alive till nowi't@
The young fellows only answer wa
to draw her closer and press kiss aftel
kiss on the responsive lips, for tn,
words were sweet to his ear.
Alas. though, they were heard b,
another, and stung him into frenzy.
The old farmer, who had come
quietly up the other side Of the gardsr
hedge, wondering sswhat had happened
the kie that Maggie was so long witt
the milk" just heard the last word
and stood trans6xed looking on the lit,
tie scene, assuredly never meant foI
such unsympathetic eyes to witness.
He himself had taken loves fevel
slightly, even in youth, and never had
maiden throbbed with such deliri0us
ecstasy for'the self repressed, Puritani.
cal man as thrilled his daughter now,
and showed in every line Of the yielding
figure clasped in Ralph's young arms.
The sight shocked the old farmer
terribly. Not so should modest maiden
be wo0ed by even the worthiest; and
this lad, truly, is none Of the best, and
like as not means no good by the lass.
That thought madens the old man, He
knows so little Of his own girl, with all
his love for her, that he can couple &c
coarse a thought with one whose patare
Is pure as tie sunlight thouS ..s
He knows AiAHselfa91 a. little
probably, for he mistakes the PASSION
ate resentment he feels entirely for
virtuous indignation. though it is more
a great deal mere Jealous fury.
The worst sting of all to him at the
moment is that the girl is SO happy.
She has forgotten him-forgotten all
his troubles, his loneliness, and his
years Of love and care at the bidding Of
this stranger ladi
His voice shakes with emotion. and
he stamps his foot as his words reach
Maggie's startled ear.
"Get thee into the house, ye shame
less hussyl To think / should have
seen my lasst.ake up a,en.sa sssSg1
nor a lazy loon.
"Nay. nay; not a world I can never
trust We MAR. ye deceitful bairnI Get
ye gone, Ralph Irwin, and never dare
to darken an honest mans door again,
ye son of a Jail bird. Never so long as
l live shall ye take my lass in your
arms again."
Ralph tried to speak; but the far
mer, taking Maggie roughly bv the
shoulder, pushed her into the house
and slammed the door in the poor lads
face.
Ralph turned away with q heavy
heart. Aaron Wilkinson had stabbed
him cruelty. His fathers brief inn
prisonment was ever a ranking wound
IN the memory of one honorable, brave,
and fearless as could be the inherltor Of
the most unsullied name.
The next week or two passed very
YEARLY to Maggie.
Her father was sterner and more un-
approachable than ever, for his heart
ached with love and care and anxious
thought.
He had nothing left but his child,
and now another had come between
them.
Youth Graves for youth to l6s>- gain;
and age thirsts for the devotion It GSs-
not win; and Nature must have her
way; be the pain ne'er SO great; while
at the end Of all the great Dark shadow
waits to lay Its cold fingers on every
murmuring lip and whisper silence.
The weather was wet aud the girl
could get no excuse to meet her lover.
and escape her fathers watchful eyes,
and the light faded from her wistfui
face.
The old man sighed when he saw It.
He wanted her to be happy, only he
wanted her to find her happiness In itv-
ing for him alone; and the exacting
love he bore her could be satisfied with
nothing else.
The rent day CAM at last, and the
farmer set Of alone to the place ap-
pointed.
He had to walk. for the old gray
mare had been sold to meet that days
need; and even his faithful dog was
left behind at home.
Maggie stood gazing after the thin.
worn figure regretfully.
A great dumb pity was in her heart.
She knew all his care, all the hitter
humiliation he felt in prospect Of the
ordeal he had to go through.
She loved him, poor child; would fain
have taken the poor gray head III her
and kissed the thn stern lips
before he left. had she dared; Sut the
that had been raised tSetween
them kept her at a distance.
She could not, would not, give up
her love to please him. and, aAasI no
smaller sacrifice would content his
sxacting nature. The day wdre on
YEARLY. She would not take ad{vant-
ige of his absence to meet with Fslph,
To her high intuitive sense Of top
It would have seemed mean to y
when her father was suffering SO +